WHY ARE YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING THE CHURCH IN DROVES.
A young man of 23 who is to attend the Vatican Youth Synod has asked a question which I have been asking for 40 years. Why are young people leaving the Church in droves? Of course,like myself he will get next to no replies because it is a question the Church in the UK does not like to be asked, so it pretends the question need not be answered. Perhaps there may be a slight nod of the head "Ah, yes, it is the terrible society we live in" "Well you see, marriage and morals have broken down in society and we cannot really reach the young"
The above answers are of course said nicely but it is usually from priests and bishops who are trying to escape their responsibility. Here is the answer they should give. Well the Church does not want to teach a morality that young people would be in conflict with, so we do not want to lose them by giving them the morality that Jesus taught. It is more grown up and nicer that way.
Of course if the Church does not teach the morality of Jesus then the only morality the children will discover is the morality of the secular society. That seems simple and straight forward answer, but is not acceptable. We have a more educated society that that which existed at the time of Jesus, we have to treated children as grown up. What rubbish!
I was discussing this recently with a former Catholic Schoolteacher. I was remarking how I have met many children who are hurting because they do not have a father or a mother. I made the point that many many of them grow up to be single mothers because they have lost the benefits of normal family life. She told me that she once taught in a Catholic School in a deprived area where there were many single parents and when she went to teach them about a Catholic Family being a father and a mother raising children she was called to the headmistresses office and told in no uncertain terms that she must not speak that way. Apparently they like the children to believe that their family is a normal family like every one elses, they do not want to offend the children. I remarked that this was utter nonsense for the children already knew they were being deprived of a normal family upbringing and indeed many of them wee really hurting inside. I have had the misfortune of seeing two nieces in my family suffering all through their lives because their fathers had deserted them. I referred to a fiend of 14 who at 12 had a conversation with a cousin also from a broken home. The cousin said she believed in God but my friend answered that she did not because "if there was a God our families would not be in such a mess" At 12 the girl suffered depressions. But did the Catholic School she attended see the hurt in her" Probably not, or should I say certainly not. It is no use telling young people who do not feel loved in their own lives that Jesus loves them. They see no reason why He should.
No we must reach out to their hurt and realise that such teaching is destroying their futures. You may disagree with this, so perhaps you could answer the question. Why do young people leave the Church in droves?
Of course the whole question can be avoided by saying I am insulting single parents. And yes, there are many single parents whom I love and admire and in my own family circle,but they cannot make up for the loss of a parent and many of then are wonderful people and are ready to admit this.
Pray for families.
The above answers are of course said nicely but it is usually from priests and bishops who are trying to escape their responsibility. Here is the answer they should give. Well the Church does not want to teach a morality that young people would be in conflict with, so we do not want to lose them by giving them the morality that Jesus taught. It is more grown up and nicer that way.
Of course if the Church does not teach the morality of Jesus then the only morality the children will discover is the morality of the secular society. That seems simple and straight forward answer, but is not acceptable. We have a more educated society that that which existed at the time of Jesus, we have to treated children as grown up. What rubbish!
I was discussing this recently with a former Catholic Schoolteacher. I was remarking how I have met many children who are hurting because they do not have a father or a mother. I made the point that many many of them grow up to be single mothers because they have lost the benefits of normal family life. She told me that she once taught in a Catholic School in a deprived area where there were many single parents and when she went to teach them about a Catholic Family being a father and a mother raising children she was called to the headmistresses office and told in no uncertain terms that she must not speak that way. Apparently they like the children to believe that their family is a normal family like every one elses, they do not want to offend the children. I remarked that this was utter nonsense for the children already knew they were being deprived of a normal family upbringing and indeed many of them wee really hurting inside. I have had the misfortune of seeing two nieces in my family suffering all through their lives because their fathers had deserted them. I referred to a fiend of 14 who at 12 had a conversation with a cousin also from a broken home. The cousin said she believed in God but my friend answered that she did not because "if there was a God our families would not be in such a mess" At 12 the girl suffered depressions. But did the Catholic School she attended see the hurt in her" Probably not, or should I say certainly not. It is no use telling young people who do not feel loved in their own lives that Jesus loves them. They see no reason why He should.
No we must reach out to their hurt and realise that such teaching is destroying their futures. You may disagree with this, so perhaps you could answer the question. Why do young people leave the Church in droves?
Of course the whole question can be avoided by saying I am insulting single parents. And yes, there are many single parents whom I love and admire and in my own family circle,but they cannot make up for the loss of a parent and many of then are wonderful people and are ready to admit this.
Pray for families.
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